Electric Railways in the U.S.S.R

Abstract

IN the second of a series on “Transport in Ihe Soviet Union”, Modern Transport reviews the progress of railway electrification in Russia. It is stated that there were no electric railways in Imperial Russia. The Soviet began the electrification of the suburban lines in the Baku area in 1926 on the B.C. system at 1,200 v. with overhead conductors. In 1929, the 1,500 v. B.C. system was adopted with the inauguration of electric working in the Moscow suburban area, where up to 1926 electric traction was introduced on 112 route miles. In the Leningrad district, 44 miles of route underwent conversion during 1933–34. According to the Electrical Review of October 31, on these and certain other local lines in the Caucasus multiple unit passenger trains are employed. In 1932 a start was made with the electrification of certain main lines hi mountainous and industrial areas, using the 3,000 v. D.C. system with heavy locomotives of three principal types for passenger, mixed traffic and freight trains. By 1939, electrified main lines comprised 828 route miles with an all–track mileage of 1,100 situated in the Caucasus, Ural, Donbass and Kussbass areas, and also on certain sections of the Murmansk line. Quite apart from the electrified suburban system in Moscow is the underground railway known as the Metro, which ranks not only as one of the newest, but also as one of the most lavishly carried out schemes of city transport in the world. It was authorized in 1931, and work began in 1932. By 1937 the Metro had 16.45 miles of route, and expansion was continuing.